The Lions have 5 Super Super 14 Points! That’s 40% of the log points they scored in the 2008 Competition and while the victory over the Cheetahs was deserved the big question is – Are their next opponents the Sharks quaking in their boots yet?…

Not likely! Unlike the plethora of sulking Cheetahs fan’s who called in to SuperSport after the game to cry about referee Craig Joubert, I firmly believe the better team won on the day, and won well. Both yellow cards were justified and to be honest Meyer Bosman was lucky not to get a red card for what was a cheap shot. The Lions had the majority of the possession; their scrum annihilated the Cheetahs and at times their offloading in the tackle and pace out wide was quite sublime. It’s true that they couldn’t buy lineout ball and the Cheetahs are hardly top drawer opposition but the game never lacked excitement and anything other than a Lions victory would have been a travesty.

Andre Pretorius looked rusty and took a while to settle down. Maybe its just me or the fact that I recently upgraded my television set to a 50 inch ‘big boy’ but Andre looks like he spent his time in rehab scoffing all the pies. The former Bok fly-half was a patch on his old self and is going to take a few games to settle back into the pace of Super rugby. The Lions loosies just shaded their fancied counterparts with Willem Alberts proving a handful when he managed to work up a head of stem. American import Todd Clever showed some real muscle and is certainly a powerful individual who could yet become a fan favourite. Ashwin Willemse scored two tries on his return and can be proud of his work-rate while Shark retread Henno Mentz thrived on the Lions policy of spreading it wide and played with real passion.

Speaking of the Sharks, unless the men in black implode spectacularly at Newlands they can bank on an easy five pointer at Kings Park in round two. The Lions are an improved side who will give a few teams a run for their money but they remain a bottom five side. Then again they are my bottom five side!

I think the Lions changed the plan at half time and it was almost a fatal mistake. The change was evident with the amount of kicks for territory that suddenly appeared in the second half from Rose and Pretorius. Pretorius underestimating the power in his boot on no less than 4 occasions didn’t really help the matter either.

On the subject of Wian Du Preez. He was one of two players on the field lastnight, and only four in history, to have Bok Blazers but never to have played for the Boks. The other on field was was Earl Rose and am not sure who the other two are. (The graphic was on to fast last night)

Their pack is more than just decent, and the crispness and execution of most of the backline moves were quite impressive.

The Lions played good rugby for a total of 20 minutes, their aim should be to do this for 80.

At times they were directionless but I put that down to Rose who does not control things at the back that well. Rose needs to be more authorative.

As for the Cheetahs, they were outthought and ended up more interested in knocking the man down than playing rugby – they were suckered.

But as for the article…

We have not even seen the Sharks play yet – and as stated so many times there are a lot of new combinations in the team. To knock the Lions now is premature.

The Sharks, as with the Lions, have nothing spectacular coming off the bench either…

Comment 18, posted at 14.02.09 11:52:05 by MorneN

As for the Cheetahs, they were outthought and ended up more interested in knocking the man down than playing rugby – they were suckered.

Can you clarify what you mean there?

It looks like you are saying the Lions niggled the Cheetahs almost inviting them to play the man? I wouldn’t think so, I just think the Cheetahs didn’t like losing and then tried to resort to a different style of rugby where the man was the target rather than the tryline.

The Cheetahs were onto the Lions players early on already, I don’t think it is something that the Lions suckered them into.

Holding onto players, driving them off the ball and holding on longer than they should, jersey pulling, frustrating them.

I didn’t see to much of that. No more than in a regular match anyway, so IMO you can’t really say they went out to niggle the Cheetahs. To me it is more a case of the intention was there to do it (the attempted bullying) anyway and whether they had their jerseys tugged or not they would have resorted to it anyway.

@Baldrick (Comment 13) : I did not see the game but from comments & the “hilites” i saw…looks like Henno back to the player he was before he broke his leg (twice). Have always rated him as one of my all time favourites….good to see him back…just hope he continues to shine…he is very much a “confidence” player.

Comment 41, posted at 14.02.09 13:04:12 by Me2

@Me2 (Comment 41) : great – so he’ll be full of confidence going into next week’s game…

Comment 42, posted at 14.02.09 13:07:08 by robdylan

Don’t know if I was seeing this ( I was drinking wine at the time), but the players seemed in good shape. Well conditioned. The Lions/Cheetahs that is.

It will be great if the Sharks can come away with 2 log points next week (try and loss within 7)…

Comment 63, posted at 14.02.09 16:15:14 by Hmmm

Moment of the match for me was the 1st half-handbags and the tune of we are family playing in the back-ground.
Im chuffed with the win..Slimgat..lol showed some real strength and eagerness.
The backline crispness has been misssing,,,pity we allowed the Cheetahs back into the game.

Read the last line in this comment of mine and then read this article. This article alludes to the same things I was alluding to in my comment. The Cheetahs are trying to be Bullies and it is costing them AND it is nothing new.